Lake House Decorating Ideas from a New Hampshire Cabin

Sheri and Gerry Weber turned a dark and dinky 500-square-foot cabin into an airy retreat, without expanding the New Hampshire home's footprint.

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Max Kim-Bee

Little House on the Lake

When Sheri and Gerry Weber went in search of a place to put their boats, the two already owned an 1835 Cape-style house in the New Hampshire community of Elkins. The only problem? Their lake getaway sat a full quarter mile from Pleasant Lake. The Webers—including daughters Lucie, Janie, Ali, Jennifer, and Michelle—had to haul their kayaks and canoes every time they decided to go out on the water.

The family had no intention of buying another house until they lucked into a deal too good to pass up: a 500-square-foot cabin right on the water—one of a group of 1920s vacation rentals being sold off.

In this photo: Sheri furnishes the cabin's living room with outdoor finds that can handle wet swimsuits: a wicker sectional sofa from Restoration Hardware and a weather-resistant rug by Dash & Albert. Built-in cubbies store beach blankets and fishing gear, and the ladder leads to a sleeping loft. The walls are painted Strong White by Farrow & Ball.

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Before: Living Area

Convenient though the location was, the home did have its drawbacks. Dark, dated paneling. Low ceilings. Teeny-tiny rooms. And virtually no view of the lake. To open the house up, the Webers' architect Jeremy Bonin removed the interior walls to create one large living area (seen on previous slide). Down came the wood paneling and dropped ceiling, bringing to light the framework's studs, as well as cathedral-style roof beams.

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Max Kim-Bee

A Perch for Beds

"Without the ceiling, it was like, 'Wow!'?" explains Sheri. "We capitalized on all that extra height by putting in a sleeping loft." The futons up there wear vintage plaid wool throw pillows, plus orange-striped alpaca by D. Bryant Archie. The blue-striped coverlets are from Coyuchi, the chevron runner by Madeline Weinrib.

Bright idea: Declare your pride of place by turning state maps into artwork.

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Before: Kitchen

Since the "kitchen" is part of the main living area, it had to look good and incorporate clever storage solutions.

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Max Kim-Bee

After: Kitchen

A Kohler sink (set atop an accordion table from Arhaus Furniture) and a simple GE stove do the trick. The family upgraded the makeshift shelves with uniform rectangular units. "It's easy to forget about stuff hidden in a closet," says Sheri. "Cubbies keep whatever you use most in plain sight."

In this photo: Antique duck decoys, a midcentury ad for fishing lures, and a wooden arrow sign mingle with cookware on the shelves. The "7" placard above the bathroom door is a vestige of the home's former life as a vacation rental, while the walls are painted French Gray by Farrow & Ball.

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Before: Dining Area

The Webers eschewed this built-in, vinyl-topped table for a mobile sideboard. Here and throughout, they pulled off the wood paneling, exposing the home's original walls with all their nooks and crannies. The pine floors received a sanding to highlight the wood's natural grain.

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Max Kim-Bee

After: Dining Area

Since the house's walls remain free of sheetrock and insulation, the building is techincally a three-season destination; but a 1970s woodstove (not pictured) makes it possible for the Webers to hang out here in the winter, too, ice-skating on the lake and playing cards by a toasty fire.

In this photo: A wheeled iron cart doubles as a portable bar and stylish storage. Both that piece and the reclaimed-elm stools are by Arhaus Furniture. "Furniture on casters can roll right out of your way when you want to free up space," says Sheri.

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Max Kim-Bee

Little Vignettes

Sheri treats the newly exposed studs as shelves that showcase Gerry's collections of vintage fishing gear and license plates. By the back door, a moose hook nabbed at a local shop hangs above a 1960s enamel clock. The vintage New Hampshire license plate is from Gerry's extensive collection.

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Max Kim-Bee

On the Deck

The once squat windows are now generous enough to take in the postcard-worthy scenery. French doors lead to an elevated screened porch off the back.

In this photo: Sheri (in an Eames chair) Gerry, and Riley, the Webers' golden retriever, unwind on the porch.

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Max Kim-Bee

Backyard Shower

The Webers also indulged in a few fantasy elements they don't have at their nearby house, like an outdoor shower—itself equipped with a view. "You open the shutters and see the lake," says daughter Janie. "It's heaven." The cabin's old garage doors were used to enclose the shower.

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Max Kim-Bee

Before: Exterior

"We thought, Why not park our money and the boats?" recalls Sheri of when they were debating on purchasing the home. "We could tear the structure down someday to build our dream house, or use the shack for a while, then flip it later."

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Max Kim-Bee

After: Exterior

Adirondack chairs by Douglas Nance dot the beach in front of the cottage's shored-up basement garage, which holds kayaks, canoes, and a classic Penn Yan boat. Now, whenever the spirit moves him, Gerry can grab a fishing pole and jump in a canoe. Usually, he gets at least one of the girls to come along. "We also go waterskiing, tubing, or kayaking almost every morning," says daughter Janie.

In this photo: To take full advantage of their home's lakefront location, the Webers transformed the lawn into a beach. French doors, upper windows, and a screened porch were added to the back of the cabin. They painted the exterior Cooking Apple Green by Farrow & Ball.

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Max Kim-Bee

Family Outing

During the summer, the family falls into a happy routine. A typical afternoon finds Gerry hand-tying fishing flies. Lucie may be in the woods, practicing her archery, while Janie and Ali float in lazy circles on tubes in the cove, with Riley swimming beside them.

In this photo: Gerry, Janie, Lucie, and Jennifer portage a canoe under Riley's watch.

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Max Kim-Bee

On the Lake

At some point during their day at the lake, Sheri considers gathering everyone for the walk back to their main residence. But then a decision is made: It would be so much nicer just to stay the night at the cabin. A couple of the girls stake out the sleeping loft; the others will pitch a tent on the beach. Sheri and Gerry set up an air mattress on the porch and wake to the sound of calling loons and splashing ducks. "It happens all the time," says Sheri of their accidental extra home. "We go for the day, then never want to leave."

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